I Only Want An E-Reader When I Travel

I do this every time I fly on a plane. I debate on purchasing an e-reader.

Even though I’m an early adopter when it comes to technology (hello, social media!), I’m still old school when it comes books. I still prefer print copies. I love shuffling through my cityscapes of books in search of my next read. I had a revelation a few weeks ago about my aversion to e-books. I stare at a computer for many hours of my day. For work, not playing Farm Heroes Saga on Facebook (ok, maybe a little of that too). I don’t always feel like staring at another screen to read a book.

E-books have been slowly slithering their way into my life. I read e-galleys from NetGalley. Authors send me PDFs of their books. When it comes to e-books, I usually read them on my smartphone via the Kindle app. Sometimes I read on my iPad but only if I’m lounging in bed. The iPad just feels to unwieldy. Plus, who wants to wipe off sticky fingerprints every time I sit down to read on it? My kids use the iPad more than I do.

Now when I travel, the benefits of owning an e-reader are glaring. I can fit piles and piles of books in a device that will fit in my purse, all without the new book smell of course. It won’t weigh me down and I don’t have to worry about running out of something to read. I could use my phone, but reading on app drains my battery pretty quickly. The only downside of an e-reader when flying on the plane is the 15-20 minutes “no electronics” rule at the beginning and end of the flight. I still need to bring a print book for that. I can get a lot of reading done in twenty minutes!

So hear I am again, considering purchasing a Kindle Paperwhite (affiliate link). I’m going on several trips in the next four weeks, which makes a dedicated e-reader more and more attractive. Especially since Amazon has the Kindle Paperwhite on sale: $20 off with the code KINDLEPW, making it only $99. (Code might not work for everyone). If I order today, it’ll arrive in time for my trip on Thursday. Hmmm.

I recently took the plunge and bought myself the Paperwhite. It’s been quite handy. I use it for Netgalley mostly and I’m still getting used to it. But, so far so good! I’m still a much bigger fan of print books though 😉

I felt the same way forever and finally got a Kobo for around $39 when Borders was going out of business. I wanted just an e-reader and that’s what it is, and I haven’t been happier. I have enjoyed it, and try really hard to keep it for reading even though I have an iPad now. Glad I made the plunge. Enjoy!

I buy print books and love my Kindle. I enjoy knowing when I open my Kindle up it’s only for reading. It’s not for playing solitaire or surfing on the web. I love my Kindle, but I just made a major “real book” purchase today because I wanted to feel the real book in my hands when I’m home and for the 15 minutes I can’t turn on my Kindle on the plane.

I have an iPad and Kindle, but I much prefer to read on the Kindle because it doesn’t strain my eyes as much. It’s convenient for the galleys, but I find that the more ebooks I get for free, the more paper ones I end up buying.